re: custom harmonicas

["G." <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<quote>
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 12:22:08 -0400
From: "alciere" <alciere@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: re: custom harmonicas

Since I love Lee Oskars straight out of the box, they do everything I need,
is there an advantage to custom harps? None of my harp heros use custom
harps. Granted there wasn't much for custom harps back when Paul Butterfield
and Sonny Terry played, but Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton play stock
harps and sound great.

Also, since harps are customized for a player's particular style, what would
I ask for?-a Marine Band tuned like a Lee Oskar, with a playing response
like a Lee Oskar, and oh yeah-a plastic comb?

I don't mean to sound snide. Has anyone bought a custom harp and prefered
the store bought?

Rainbow Jimmy
</quote>

In all seriousness Jimmy,
In a few cases: yes.
It happens.
And thats why it pays to shop around and find out what works for you.

But, only you can really answer that for yourself Jimmy.

One of the things about custom harmonicas (as a musician) is learning what you
want from the instrument, and maybe starting down new paths as you learn what is
possible but requires you to adapt to it as well.
Also add to this the customiser's skills and abilities to not only deliver the
goods, but to first ascertain what you really want from your instrument is just
as important too.  Assuming said customiser can deliver the goods in the first
place.  When you find a customiser with a good rep and you get along with you
may need to work together as you figure out what you want, whilst s/he figures
out what that is from you.   And that makes it tough the first time you buy from
a customiser.

There are many cases where more traditional players prefer stock instruments to
some forms of customisation, mostly because of what they are used to, but also
because they have no need to change the way they do things.

In the past have bought good custom instruments, and later leant (sanitised
before and after) them to pro players out of curiosity and their critisms have
been that they are out of tune (Just Intonation), TOO responsive and/or choke
too easily (set up for overblows and light playing), and being TOO COMFORTABLE
(really, the player in question couldn't keep track of where he was on the harp
without the sharp protruding edges of the comb).

It goes to show how important familiarity with one's instrument is to a
performing musician.  If they want something better, if they have a need that
requires change from them as well as the instrument, then the challenge for them
is whether they are prepared to learn to adapt to gain those benefits or whether
they will stay with what they know and accept the limitations.   Theres no fault
in going either way - this is true for any relationship between musician and
instrument throughout their life.

I think the further along the road you are down a particular track, the further
you have to back track to make any fundamental changes, which is why I think its
important to show beginning players all the possibilities and options so at
least they are aware of the broader pallette of tools available to achieve their
means.  And hopefully they will find the appropriate answers rather than
floundering with doing what was done before, just for that reason alone.

Theres a lot to be said for going with the tried and true.  It works for many
players to achieve the results they want.  Personally I just found there are
easier paths to where I'm going. And anyway, I rarely like taking the road most
travelled... I prefer the challenge of figuring out what works for me.

Myth-mongerer & Reed Medler.
G.